


Broken Wings

by MaraGiggles



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Avalon - Freeform, Dean POV, DeanXFairy, F/M, Fairies, Major Original Character(s), Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), suicidal thoughts but nothing actually happens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-30 07:25:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8523913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaraGiggles/pseuds/MaraGiggles
Summary: Sam and Dean have seen some pretty strange things in their lives.  They’ve fought monsters, battled demons and angels.  They’ve witnessed the birth of new and deadly beings, and been the cause of the utter destruction of ancient Gods.  There was nothing they couldn’t handle, no monster they couldn’t take down.Or so they thought.When the mysterious Faye Willows comes into their lives, Sam and Dean will have to face their biggest challenge yet.  And if they’re not careful, they could find themselves in a whole new world of danger.





	1. Introduction

The storm raged on like a toddler who’d been denied sweets, wild and loud. Trees groaned and creaked as they bent in the wind, their roots threatening to pop from the ground. Branches tore from their places like paper, smashing down onto the cars parked nearby. It was only late afternoon, but the clouds were so thick and heavy with rain it looked like night.

Rain belted down without end, digging up the ground where it hit. Dirt paths turned to muddy rivers, and the actual rivers swelled and broke their banks. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the rain drops and making them sparkle like diamonds. Thunder rumbled overhead seconds later, vibrating within the chests of those cowering from the storm. 

Anyone within their right mind had found cover long ago… however she wasn’t in her right mind.

She felt nothing as she stood there. She didn’t even feel cold, despite the wind and rain. No thought penetrated the fog of her mind as she stared ahead aimlessly. A sizzling in the air made her hair stand on end, moments before a tree only 40 yards from her was struck by lightning. With a groan that could wake the dead the mighty tree split before toppling to the ground.

Even the clap of thunder that followed failed to make her move.

She was empty. A mere shell of what she used to be. She’d given too much to get there, and now there was nothing left. 

Almost nothing…

After a moment a low growl cut through the screaming wind, finally gaining a reaction from her. Her eyes drifted to the right, reflecting the lights that were headed her way.

_‘Follow the lights…’_

She started moving forward.

  
****  


“Dean, maybe we should pull over for the night,” suggested Sam as he looked out the window. Not that he could see much with how heavy the rain was. It was difficult enough for Dean to see anything, although he wouldn’t admit that.

Before Dean could open his mouth to argue, again, lightning came down and struck a tree not far ahead of them. The shock lit up the night like it was day for a brief moment, and Dean actually slowed down to a stop. 

“Alright. Next town is only five minutes. We’ll stop there,” he conceded quietly, peering out the windscreen as he started forward again, slower than usual. The storm had hit out of nowhere, and it was driving him insane. If it began to hail, or if Baby got damaged…

He saw her a split second before Sam cried his name. With lightning quick reflexes he stomped on the brake and swerved desperately to avoid hitting the woman who’d just stepped out in front of the car. He felt the impact more than he heard it, sending his heart plummeting to his stomach.

What had he done?

“Sam, find out where the nearest hospital is!” he screamed as he bolted from the car, rushing back to where he’d seen her. She lay on her side in the centre of the road, her back to him as he knelt beside her. “Please be alive, please be alive.”

Despite the situation, despite his panic and fear he had killed her, Dean felt an odd sort of calm as he searched for a pulse. Not a total calm; he still felt like his heart was going to beat out of his ribcage. But he didn’t feel as panicked as he had moments ago, and the more time that passed, the less panicked he felt. 

When he felt the soft thump-thump of her pulse beneath his fingers, Dean sighed lightly. He did a quick search for any injuries before he lifted her. The rain had eased somewhat, but it was still cold and the wind didn’t help. Within seconds he was soaked and shivering, yet her skin was burning hot to the touch. 

It took him all of thirty seconds to reach her and get her in the back of the Impala. Sam switched the light on before he hit the accelerator, letting Dean see the woman properly for the first time. He did a proper check for wounds then, noticing the odd pink that stained her clothes.

Like blood that had been washed out by the rain.

Yet there were no injuries that he could see, not a scar or blemish on her smooth skin. He couldn’t even find a mark from him hitting her, and he knew he had. Her skin seemed to have cooled somewhat, but her breathing was laboured and weak, as was her pulse. It didn’t make sense.

“Step on it, Sammy,” he urged, feeling like something else was going on here. He watched her face carefully as Sam sped up, periodically checking her pulse until they pulled up outside the hospital. Her temperature dropped dramatically as they stopped, to the point where Dean was convinced she was dying. If it wasn’t for her slow heartbeat, he would assume she was already dead. “Come on, lady, stay with us.”

Dean kept whispering to her until the doctors took her away, not quite sure why he bothered. She couldn’t hear him, and he shouldn’t care as much as he did. He didn’t even know her name… but he knew enough. 

He knew how bad it hurt to want an end that much.

Maybe that’s why he stayed. The police took his statement, and Sam’s, then took Dean’s number and told him to stay in town in case they had any more questions. Sam stood then, had almost made it to the doors before he realised Dean hadn’t moved. 

“Uh… you coming?” he asked carefully, raising his eyebrows questioningly when Dean glanced up from the floor. He could see Sam understood before he said a word.

“You may as well go get some sleep, son,” said one of the cops gently as the other spoke with a nurse. “We’ll call if anything happens with the woman.”

“I’d rather stay,” he said softly, directing his attention to the cops rather than Sam. He already knew why Dean wanted to stay. “She threw herself in front of my car. Until someone who cares about her shows up I just… I wanna make sure she’s ok.”

Thankfully the cop didn’t ask any more questions. He nodded slowly, a sympathetic smile on his face, before he walked off to join his partner. It’s not like he had lied, exactly, but he hadn’t been completely truthful, either.

Normally he wouldn’t have stayed. Yeah, she’d jumped out in front of him. And yeah, he knew exactly it felt to reach that point of giving up. But he didn’t know her, and aside from that she would be safe, here. He would be better off finding a hotel and getting some sleep before the cops called for more questions. There was absolutely no reason for him to stay. And yet, he didn’t want to leave.

Sam came to stand beside him, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder, then sighed and sat down in the empty seat to his right.

“You should go find a hotel,” suggested Dean idly, his gaze returning to his hands clasped before him. “One of us should get some sleep.”

“No, you’re right,” muttered Sam, stifling a yawn as he leaned back. “We stay. At least until her family show up.”

And so they stayed. Because he hadn’t been able to find any injuries, he hoped he’d only clipped her. If he had, as long as nothing else was wrong, then he hoped she would be wake fairly soon. As it was, just over an hour had passed before he saw one of the doctors who’d taken her walk over to the police.

“Hey, Sammy,” he muttered, elbowing his brother in the ribs and nodding over to the cops. He couldn’t hear them from where he was, but after a second the doctor smiled. Then she turned on her heel and led the cops through the double doors.

“Guess she’s awake,” sighed Sam in relief, slumping back on the seat and throwing his legs up on the one opposite. “Now we just wait and see what the cops have to say.”

Dean nodded as he sat back, covering a yawn of his own before rubbing his eyes. God he was tired, wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere and pass out. Yet he couldn’t leave, not until he was certain the woman was fine. 

He had to know she was ok.

When the police came back out about ten minutes later, Dean jumped to his feet and rushed over to them, Sam right behind him. The cops eyed him warily at his approach, one of them even reaching for his gun, much to Dean’s surprise.

“Is she ok? Is someone coming to get her?” he asked quickly, failing to notice the slightly glazed look in the cops eyes. Sam did notice, however, and he tried to pull his brother back to no use. 

“Is who ok?” asked the first cop, the one who’d reached for his gun. He eyed both of them suspiciously, while Dean’s confusion rose. 

“The…the woman we brought in…” started Dean, sharing a brief glance with Sam, whose face mirrored his. As he turned back he saw the doctor who’d taken them to see her walk back out, the same look on her face. “Hey! What happened to that chick? Is she gonna be ok?”

The doctors reacted the same as the police did. They stared at Dean and Sam as if they were insane, until one of them asked what he was talking about. Dean was getting pissed off with their games; why couldn’t they just be straight with him?

“Dean,” growled Sam in warning as he opened his mouth to argue with them. How was it possible for all of them to just forget her? To forget him? It didn’t make sense! “Sorry Doctors, Officers. My brother’s had a bit to drink and he’s not feeling well.”

Dean went to argue that point, but one look from Sam had him zipping his lips. He waited as Sam excused them from the waiting room, then practically dragged Dean outside to the Impala. By then he was fuming, his mind spinning out of control. 

At least the storm seemed to have passed.

“Dude, what the hell?” he demanded as soon as they were out of earshot, throwing his arms in the air. He followed Sam over to the Impala, still trying to work out what had just happened. Where had the woman gone? Why couldn’t anyone remember her?

“Dean, calm down,” muttered Sam, glancing around the empty car park to ensure they were alone. Then he braced his arms on the roof of the car and gave him a serious look. “Are you really telling me you don’t get what’s happening here?”

Although he would never admit it, he was grateful Sam thought things through quicker than he did. Even in the most confusing and troubling times, Sam kept his head on straight. It was him who told Dean about the odd look in their eyes, and what he thought it could mean.

“Whoever that woman was, she has some kind of powers,” he continued as Dean started up the car. “She obviously spelled the doctors and the cops into forgetting about her. Probably so she could escape.”

“But why?” asked Dean, pulling out of the hospital parking lot. “Say she is a witch, why run like that? And why did she jump out in front of us?” _Where is she now?_ “If she’s that gung-ho on dying, why not just use some spell? Or find a hunter, even? I’m sure they’d be willing to take her down.”

“I dunno, Dean,” Sam replied quietly, his tone telling Dean he wasn’t really listening. A quick glance over told him he was right. Sam was staring out the window, but Dean saw the slight frown. After a second he turned back, his head tilted in a way that made Dean think of a confused puppy. “When did the storm stop?”

Dean paused. Then he frowned.

“That’s what you’re asking? How the hell do I know when the storm stopped? I was too busy worrying about that girl who just got up and walked away after I hit her with Baby! Oh, and lets not mention the fact that she made the doctors and the cops just forget about her-” And then he realised why Sam had asked about the storm. “Oh…”

“Right?” pushed Sam almost excitedly. Another quick glance told him his younger brother found whatever was happening fascinating. Dean didn’t. He found it confusing, and highly annoying. “I mean think about it, Dean. You said it yourself, that storm came out of nowhere. What if she caused the storm, somehow?”

Dean didn’t answer right away. Mainly because it didn’t make sense to him. None of it did. What purpose did creating a storm that severe serve? What did it gain her, or anyone for that matter? Why did she throw herself in front of his car? Why did she run the way she had?

“I dunno, Sammy,” he said eventually, as they pulled up at the local motel. “Something about this doesn’t feel right.”

“Nothing about this feels right,” corrected Sam with a straight face as they climbed out of the car. “But the storm, the woman, the cops… its gotta be connected, right? I mean, storms don’t just start like that, and they don’t just disappear like that, either.”

He was right, storms didn’t behave that way. Dean glanced up as Sam went to book them in, surprised to see the stars twinkling in the night sky. That storm had been massive, and yet he couldn’t see a single cloud. Or, at least, anything to block the stars out like clouds should have. The ground was wet, but nowhere near as bad as it should have been given all the water that had come down.

They agreed to check it out tomorrow, after they’d gotten a decent nights sleep. It had been weeks since they’d been back to the bunker; the last case had taken them almost a month to solve. All Dean wanted was to sleep in his own bed. _Hopefully she won’t get too far,_ he thought as he climbed into the hard bed after his shower, his entire body aching. 

Turns out, she didn’t get far at all.

Sam had only just switched off the lights, Dean had only just gotten comfortable, when a soft knock sounded. At first neither brother moved, hoping whoever it was would just leave. They didn’t, and after five minutes of insistent knocking, Dean got up with a groan.

“Better be fucking important,” he grumbled as Sam switched the bedside light back on. He didn’t bother looking through the peep-hole before opening the door, fully prepared to abuse the person on the other side. “What th- hey, hey, whoa! Sammy!”

The woman smiled weakly at him, her green eyes sparkling in the light… before those eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed in his arms.


	2. Faye Willows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean struggles to understand what he’s feeling as he and Sam question the mysterious woman. He’d thought being able to speak to her would make things more clear, however, her responses raise more questions than they answer.

“What do we do?” asked Sam as Dean laid the mysterious woman out on his bed carefully. She couldn’t have weighed 100 pounds; he could feel her ribs when he’d carried her. She was burning hot once again, but it appeared her clothes had dried. “Do we call the cops?”

“And say what, Sam?” asked Dean, quickly moving around to the foot of the bed to pull off her shoes, only to realise she wore no shoes. Her feet were bare and dirty. “That the woman we hit with our car, the one they all forgot, showed up on our doorstep and passed out again? Even if they do believe us, what’s stopping her from walking out again?”

Silence fell as they contemplated what to do next. Saying something wasn’t right about the situation was pointless, and the understatement of the century. Who was she? What was she? How did she even find them? 

“What do we do?” asked Sam again after almost ten minutes of silence. Dean glanced over at his brother, but he had no answer for him. He was as clueless as Sam was. “Do we chain her up? We know she has powers…”

Sam had a point, but something told Dean she wasn’t a threat to them. She’d come to them, and he had a terrible suspicion on why. He’d said it himself in the car. Even so, they chained her up and took all precautions they knew of. Including filling their guns with witch-killing bullets. It was Sam who performed the tests to prove she wasn’t demon, or shifter, or werewolf. She had to be a witch, what with her power.

They sat around the tiny table as they waited for the blonde to wake, guns drawn and ready, along with an array with various other weapons before them just in case. He hadn’t had much opportunity to really look at her before now, but when he did he realised she was gorgeous. 

Her face was relaxed, peaceful almost, like she was sleeping. Her long, blonde hair looked soft, but the ends were slightly pink, once again making him think of blood that had washed out. Her full lips were slightly parted in her sleep. Every now and then Dean would reach across the space between them and grasp her ankle, searching for a pulse. 

Like before, her skin had cooled dramatically the last time he tried it. She woke a few minutes later, a soft, pained groan leaving her lips before she curled into a ball on her side. They both stood quickly, but neither raised their gun in her direction. 

Everything about this woman was baffling, and her reactions weren’t helping. Dean watched as she pulled her hands away from her face, watched her eyes take in the chains. He heard the soft, helpless sob that escaped her after, his heart aching for her as she closed her eyes and curled up into a tighter ball. 

She didn’t even look at them. Didn’t acknowledge them in any way. Not until Dean coughed, but that only made her jump violently. He shared a puzzled look with Sam when she began to shake. Then she spoke, and Dean’s heart leapt into his throat. 

“Please… no more…” Her voice was quiet, and thick with what he could only assume were tears. The pain there, the heart ache, the grief, had Dean kneeling beside the bed before he realised he’d moved. “I’ll do anything…”

“Why don’t you start by giving us your name?” he asked, trying to keep his tone soft. Sam had moved in with him, so he was there to see the blonde cringe, then glance up. A frown pulled down her eyebrows as her eyes found them, before they began darting all over the room. She sat abruptly, letting out a light whimper when the action tugged on her chains.

“Faye Willows,” she answered in a whisper a few moments later. Dean huffed as she peeked up at them, before dipping her head and crossing her legs. After a few moments it became clear that’s all she was going to say. He had thought she would at least ask why she was chained.

“And, uh,” began Sam rather awkwardly, clearing his throat before he continued. “What are you?”

Her answer was so quick off the mark it didn’t take a genius to work out it had been drilled into her. 

“I am nothing.” 

Those words raised Dean’s anger, and at first he wasn’t entirely sure why. Then it clicked, and he found himself feeling sorry for her. He’d felt that way, once upon a time. Like he was nothing more than a grunt. 

Replaceable. 

Expendable. 

Disposable.

“No one’s nothing,” he growled, sounding more menacing than he’d meant to. But her words rang in his head, forcing out any concern over what she could do to him. 

No one was nothing. Sam had helped him see the truth in that fact. Everyone mattered, in some way or another.

Faye glanced up at him again, confusion evident on her face as she eyed him carefully. Her eyes looked more blue in the dim motel lights, but it was hard to tell as they flickered to Sam, then back to her lap. It was like she was afraid to look at either of them too long.

Dean was quickly putting the pieces together to form a pretty nasty puzzle in his mind.

Wherever this woman had come from, she had clearly suffered a lot. He didn’t want to think how much, but his mind was already creating scenarios to torment him. He didn’t know her, had never met her before. And yet already he could feel his blood boiling at the thought that someone could hurt her in such a way. 

He’d seen that look in her eyes in other people. He’d seen it in the eyes of the souls who held out the longest in Hell. In the eyes of the ones who eventually broke, like he did. Hell, he’d been the cause of that look more often than not. There were no marks on her skin, but that meant nothing if she had magic.

He didn’t need his imagination to know what they’d done to break her.

“Look, Faye, is it?” began Sam when she didn’t reply, ducking his head to try and see her face. When she didn’t look up he sighed and continued gently. “We know you’re not human-” that seemed to get her attention; her head raised the slightest bit. “-but we won’t hurt you. As long as you don’t hurt us. We just want to… understand.”

As Sam spoke, Dean noticed a frown forming on Faye’s face once more. She held her arms wrapped around her stomach before, but now she pulled them away as if she was studying the chains. She twisted her wrists this way and that, the dim light glinting off the metal. Then she glanced up at him, and he immediately saw the difference.

Dean shared yet another dumbfounded glance with Sam. Where before she had been too afraid to look them in the eye, now she studied them like they were insects in glass containers. The change was so sudden Dean felt his fear return.

“Who are you?”

There was no more fear in Faye’s voice, but there was no anger, or malice, either. All he could hear was pure, unadulterated curiosity as her blue/green eyes darted between him and Sam. And he was surprised to find his fear was fading, fast. Faye wouldn’t hurt them. 

He knew it without a doubt.

“I’m Dean,” he said softly, his breath catching in his throat when her eyes locked on his. Her gaze was so intense he found himself wanting to look away, and yet at the same time he was unable to do so. She tilted her head slightly as she watched him, as if waiting for him to continue. He cleared his throat quickly. “This is Sam, my brother. We’re Hunters…”

He wasn’t entirely sure why he said that. Maybe to see her reaction, which, once again, was nothing like what he had expected. He’d thought, given she clearly wasn’t human, that she would freak out at his admission. Yet her confusion only seemed to grow, and she glossed over them being Hunters like she had no idea what it meant.

“Faye,” called Sam softly when the silence grew. Her eyes immediately darted to him, leaving Dean feeling a little light-headed as he tried to catch his breath. “Can you tell us what happened? Why you jumped out in front of our car? And… how did you find us?”

“I did not intend to damage your vehicle,” she breathed in response, once again confusing the hell out of Dean as he sat back on his heels. Her eyes found him again, and again, he felt like the air had been sucked from his lungs. “Your energy. I recognise it. You are connected to the lights…”

“The lights?” repeated Dean. They were getting nowhere, only raising more questions. And she still hadn’t answered the ones burning away inside him. Despite somehow knowing she was no threat, Dean felt his defences rise the more cryptic she was. “What lights? What energy?”

“You mean… the headlights?” queried Sam, a look of understanding briefly crossing his features. “The lights on the Impala?”

“Impala… I do not know this word,” she replied, tilting her head to the side as she turned her gaze on Sam again. “They weren’t… Lights is possibly not the best term to use. They were more of a… of an energy.”

“Energy?” repeated Sam as Dean sat back, trying to keep it all straight in his mind. “Sorry, can you explain? I don’t… we’re not following.” 

Well that was the understatement of the century, but Dean didn’t say anything. He thought Faye might grow impatient with them, could turn on them maybe. Instead she smiled softly, her shoulders dipping as she relaxed slightly.

“I apologise,” she replied gently, in a tone that reminded Dean of a school teacher calmly explaining the latest Math equation to the class. “It is difficult to explain. I do not understand it well myself, but I… I followed this world’s energy to get here. I was so weak by the time I came through I could no longer feel the energy I was to follow, only see it.”

“Right,” said Sam then, sitting a little straighter as a small smile tugged at his lips. Dean glanced over at him, still just as confused as ever. But it seemed the younger Winchester had understood better than he had. “That’s why you jumped out in front of us, isn’t it? You thought the lights on the car was the energy you were meant to follow…?”

“That is correct,” answered Faye with a slight nod, shifting slightly in her place. Relief flooded Dean at learning she hadn’t been trying to kill herself, but it faded quickly as more questions assailed his thoughts. “I do apologise for the stress I have caused you. I will be more than willing to repair any damage done to your… Impala…?”

“Don’t worry about it,” muttered Dean, waving her off as he shook his head. Yeah, she’d left a dent in the front of Baby’s bodywork, but it was nothing he couldn’t fix himself. “As long as you’re ok and you didn’t…” He coughed instead of continuing that thought.

“May I inquire as to where I came through?” asked Faye after a moment of silence, her tone wavering again. Even with that slight hint of uncertainty, her attitude had changed so dramatically he began to wonder if he was right about her being tortured. “Where… where did the pathway come out?”

“You’re in Sweet Springs, Missouri,” replied Sam quickly, offering Faye a smile when she turned to him. “On Earth, if that helps.”

“It really worked,” she sighed, dipping her head again as tears filled her eyes once more. Dean sighed, resisting the urge to reach out for her. After a moment Faye straightened, a smile as radiant as the sun crossing her lips, and further stunning both brothers. “May I remove these chains? I promise I will not leave without your express permission, but the iron burns my skin.”

“The… the iron burns…?” repeated Dean, glancing down at her wrists. She held them in her lap, and he hadn’t noticed it before, but now he saw the red marks where the metal touched her skin. “Why didn’t you say anything? Yes, shit, Sam, get the keys.”

“You had questions for me,” she replied with a shrug, as if her own physical discomfort meant less than their questions. Dean shook his head as Sam unlocked the cuffs for her. And he knew he was right. Whatever or whoever had hurt her, they’d come damn close to breaking her spirit. The skin around her wrists had begun to crack and blister, as if she had held her hands over a fire for too long. 

How she could sit there with a smile while her skin burned was beyond him.

“Damn, Faye,” mumbled Sam, rushing back to his bag and searching for their first-aid kit. Dean sat beside her with a sigh, hating the way she cringed and shuffled away from him. “You should have told us the chains were hurting.”

“It’s fine,” insisted Faye calmly, running her right hand over her left wrist. By then Sam had moved to kneel before her, burn cream in his hands ready to spread on her skin. Instead, he and Dean watched in silent fascination as the burns completely disappeared with her actions. She repeated the movement on her right wrist before turning her brilliant green eyes on him again. Then she frowned. 

“Why are you concerned-ugh!” she began, breaking off with a cry as she slumped sideways suddenly, like she’d been clubbed on the head. Both Sam and Dean jumped up in a panic, searching the room for any threat as Faye groaned.

“Faye? Faye?!” called Dean, bending down beside the bed as she collapsed on her side. He was torn between looking at her and making sure there was no immediate danger to them. There was nothing he could see as Sam threw him a gun and snatched up his own, along with a few knives. Dean turned back to Faye. “Faye, what is it? What’s happening?”

“I-I can’t,” she stuttered, her face draining of all colour even as he watched. Her eyes fluttered as she panted heavily, like she was struggling to breathe. Dean’s panic got the best of him as he reached for her, barely noticing the way she grew hotter by the second. When it became clear there was no threat Sam moved in beside him again.

“Can’t what?” asked Dean quickly, swallowing loudly and struggling to keep calm for her sake. He shook her lightly when her eyes slipped closed again. “Faye? Talk to me, sweetheart! What is it? How do we help?”

“They’re… they’re…” she stuttered, clearly struggling to stay conscious. Dean felt like his heart was trying to break out of his chest as he watched her. Her eyes met him briefly, and the pain he saw there nearly shattered him completely. “Help me…”

And then she passed out for the third time that night.


	3. Do You Believe?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam’s suspicion grows stronger, Dean’s feelings get more confusing, and Faye reveals where she came from…

“Cas!” called Dean for what felt like the thousandth time. Although he wasn’t really surprised when the angel didn’t answer. Cas had been acting weird ever since he got out of purgatory. At this point, Dean would be more surprised if he did show.

“Dean…” He tried to ignore Sam’s soft call as he concentrated on running the cloth over Faye’s forehead. He already knew what he was going to say. “Why are you doing this? Why are you so worried about-about a woman you don’t even know?”

There was no answer he could readily give. Dean didn’t even know himself why he was so worried. She wasn’t human, that much was clear. And yet, somehow, he kept forgetting that simple little fact. She wasn’t human. He shouldn’t care as much as he did. 

Yet the fact remained that he did care. He cared a lot, and he wasn’t going to just sit back and let her suffer any more than she already had. Since Cas wasn’t showing up, normally his next move would be take her to the hospital. But they’d done that, and she had simply walked out. He wasn’t willing to risk it again; what if she didn’t come back to him next time? Who would help her then?

“She asked for our help, Sam,” he grumbled instead of voicing his thoughts, keeping his eyes locked on her sleeping face. The cloth had begun to dry out due to how hot she was, and Dean groaned slightly as he pushed himself to his feet. Sam followed him over to the little kitchenette sink.

“We don’t know anything about her,” he started to argue, instantly riling Dean up worse. But he was right, so Dean kept his mouth shut as he held the cloth under the cold water again. “Dean, seriously, stop! This woman is dangerous! She could hurt us!”

“She won’t,” stated Dean with more confidence than he had gone for. He paused for a moment, before he shook his head, realising he was right as he said it. Faye wouldn’t hurt them. Dean shook his head again and pulled open the freezer. 

“Are you even hearing yourself?” asked Sam incredulously, his eyes wide and his arms spread out. Dean ignored him and swapped the cloth he held for the frozen one he’d put in there earlier. At least, he ignored him until Sam grabbed his arm and forced him to face him. “Dean, just stop! Talk to me. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, Sam!” he snapped honestly, snatching his arm from Sam’s grasp. But he didn’t walk away, not yet. Instead he leaned back against the wall, his eyes sliding closed as he sighed heavily. When he opened his eyes he tried again, softer this time. “I honestly don’t know what’s going on. All I know is… that woman asked for our help. And I… I wanna help her. As best I can.”

“But you don’t even know her,” pushed Sam, watching his older brother in concern. He’d never seen him act this way over someone he didn’t know. This kind of behaviour was usually reserved for those he cared about and it frightened Sam to no end. “She’s… she’s not human, Dean. Or even from this world.”

“I don’t care,” replied Dean, his tone suggesting that was the end of the conversation. Without another word he pushed himself off the wall and moved to kneel beside her bed once more. Sam sighed and watched as Dean ran the icy cool cloth over her forehead, then down her arms, and over her legs. 

It had been just over an hour before her skin began to cool. By then, Sam seemed to have gotten on board with helping. He’d swapped the cloth over the last three times, leaving Dean with nothing to do but watch and worry. 

“Dean…” mumbled Sam about half an hour later. Dean had given up trying to ease her temperature at that point, and had simply laid his head down on the edge of her bed. He looked up at Sam’s call though, frowning when he saw his hand on her cheek. “She’s ice cold, man.”

A quick check proved Sam was right. Faye’s temperature had dropped so low that if Dean didn’t know any better, he’d say she just stepped out of a freezer. 

“What the fuck is going on?” he demanded without really expecting an answer. He stood quickly, and together he and Sam struggled to get the covers out from under her. She had begun to shiver when they finally covered her up.

“Careful of her back,” said Sam as Dean tried to roll her onto her back instead of on her side. He glanced up with a frown.

“Why?”

“I don’t think she likes things touching her back,” he shrugged, like it was nothing. But Dean only frowned more. Sam sighed. “Watch this…”

Dean watched closely as Sam ran his hand down her back. He didn’t actually touch her, but Dean saw the way her body tensed, her hands balling into fists as her brow furrowed in pain. When Sam pulled his hand away, her face and body relaxed, only to tense once more when he moved in close again. When Sam pressed his fingers lightly to the exposed skin of her shoulder blade, she actually groaned in pain.

“Alright, I get the point,” snapped Dean, shoving Sam’s hand away from her quickly. Sam frowned, but said nothing as Dean moved her back onto her side gently. He didn’t want to think about why she reacted as she did. Nor did he stop to ponder how she had known Sam was going to touch her back before he did. It didn’t matter. 

All that mattered was she was in pain, and Dean didn’t know how to help her.

After another fifteen minutes or so, Sam tried to get Dean to go to sleep. He quickly gave up when it became clear Dean wasn’t going anywhere, curling up in the second bed himself for some shut-eye. Of course, Dean didn’t say anything about it. Sam was exhausted, too, and one of them may as well get some rest. But it wouldn’t be him, not until he knew Faye would be ok.

As he waited for her to wake, he thought back on everything he’d learned. Everything she’d said, and what he’d worked out for himself. Of course, most of what she’d told them only raised more questions in Dean’s mind. Where had she come from? What was she? She clearly wasn’t a Witch; Witches don’t get burned by iron…

Then there was her statement about his energy. What the hell did that mean? He’d never met her before, how the hell would she be able to recognise his energy, whatever that meant? The only time he’d heard of Supernatural beings talking about energy like that was…

_No… couldn’t be…_

With everything he knew it would fit…

It was well past midnight when she finally stirred. At first Dean didn’t notice, as by then he was almost passing out himself. He couldn’t help it, he was beyond exhausted. With his head resting on the edge of the bed, he thought it was his imagination when a soft hand ran through his hair.

When it happened for the second time, Dean’s eyes snapped open and he lifted his head. Faye was indeed awake, her green eyes watching him closely as her hand fell back to the bed. He sat straighter, rubbing his eyes sleepily. All words fled his mind as he focused on her face.

Something unspoken passed between them. As if he could feel what she wanted to say to him without her having to say the words. Like he could hear her in his mind, whispering gently to him. He couldn’t make out any words, but he didn’t need to. Just seeing her eyes open and on him brought him peace.

“You’re awake…” he whispered after a moment, his eyes taking in every inch of her face. She hadn’t moved, still shook slightly, but he could see she was more alert than before. At his words she nodded, but didn’t make a move to sit. Dean sat back on his heels, one hand left on the bed as he studied her closely. “How… uh, how do you feel?”

“Cold,” she whispered, her voice so low he would have sworn she hadn’t spoken had he not seen her lips move. The word had barely left her lips before he was up, rushing to the cupboard he saw in the corner. There were two more blankets in there, and he grabbed them without hesitation before rushing back to her side. He spread the blankets over her swiftly and resisted the urge to tuck her in.

“How’s that, that ok?” he asked gently, sitting on the bed beside her without thinking. Faye’s eyes followed him curiously, before she nodded slowly. Again without thinking, Dean lifted his hand to check her temperature, resulting in Faye flinching away from him. He pulled his hand back quickly. “Hey, hey, it’s ok! I’m not gonna hurt you. I just… wanna check your temperature, ok?”

It took another few minutes before she nodded, settling back into position. Dean hesitated a little longer before he pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, then ran it lightly down to her cheek. Her eyes slid closed at his touch, a soft, relaxed sigh escaping her parted lips. And he couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his lips when she looked up at him again, but it faded at how cold she still felt. Still, she was warmer than she had been.

“Why are you helping me?” she whispered as he pulled his hand away. When he glanced down at her he could tell she was genuinely confused as to why he would offer her help. That made two of them, three if you included Sam.

“You asked for our help,” he answered gently, slipping from the bed to kneel beside it again, so their faces were level. Faye’s eyes followed him, but she still made no move to sit up. “Even if you hadn’t, you clearly need help from someone.”

“You’re afraid of me,” she stated. Dean’s eyebrows shot up then, wondering how she’d figured that out. He wasn’t that obvious, was he? “I can feel it. You and your brother fear me. Yet, you still help me…”

That last part wasn’t exactly a question, but Dean felt the need to answer her anyway.

“It’s the right thing to do. And we’re not…” he paused, choosing his words carefully before he continued. “We’re not afraid of you, we’re just a bit confused. We’re trying to understand.”

Faye nodded then, her eyes slipping closed for a moment as she sighed. Then she shifted, bringing her arms up underneath her and pushing herself up. Dean stood quickly, reaching out for her in case she collapsed again. Faye flinched at his sudden movement, so he dropped his hands to his sides and watched her sympathetically. 

“What do you wish to know?” Well… that was easier than he’d been expecting. Then again, she hadn’t actually told him anything useful, yet.

“Hang on, how are you feeling, first?” he asked, despite burning to have his questions answered. Part of him was still concerned something was seriously wrong with her. The way she glanced over at him made him think no one had asked her that in a very long time. Probably not ever.

“I will be fine,” she answered after a moment, a slight frown creasing her forehead. “It’s just… the energy here is different…”

“Ok… alright,” nodded Dean, taking his place on the edge of the bed again, getting the feeling that was a lie. He made sure to keep distance between them so as not to frighten her. While she didn’t shift away from him, he could tell she wanted to. He sighed before he asked his next question. “I’m gonna ask about that… but first… I kinda wanna know, uh…”

“You wish to know where I came from,” she finished for him, as if she was able to read his mind. He wished he could know what she was thinking as she stared at him with a blank expression. “And if I am capable of harming you or your brother.”

Dean had to admit, that was one and two of the burning questions inside him. Although, he felt he already knew the answer to the second one as he swallowed audibly. She was certainly capable of it, but would she actually do it was a whole other question. Faye sighed when he nodded slowly, his hands clasped in his lap like hers.

“You can be assured I will not harm you,” she started, sounding truthful and earnest. Her eyes burned into his, as if hoping he would understand she spoke the truth. “You and your brother are safe from me. You brought me into this world, you have helped me beyond you could ever know. I am forever in your debt, and I swear on everything dear to me that I will not harm you. Either of you.”

“Hang on,” he interrupted, raising his hand when she went to continue. She fell silent immediately, looking a little afraid of him again. He tried softening his tone to ease her fears. “I… we didn’t bring you here. You… you don’t owe us anything. I’m the one who hit you with my car, I should owe you, I-”

“You intended to take me down?” she questioned, the fear seeping into her voice now. This time she did pull back, shuffling away from him ever so slightly. Dean’s heart ached at her actions.

“What? No!” he insisted quickly, turning so he could face her, and moving back at the same time. She frowned when she noticed his movement. “I-I tried to avoid you as soon as I saw you. I’d never…”

He shut his mouth after that. There was no way he could finish that sentence, as there was no way he could guarantee its truthfulness. Although he only wanted to help her, he still didn’t know enough to make that kind of promise. 

What if she was faking it all? What if this was some elaborate trick to get into their good graces, make them trust her so she could take them out herself? Until he knew more, until he was certain she wasn’t a threat, Dean had to hold back. This woman was a stranger to him, one with powers whose limits he didn’t yet know. He couldn’t treat her like he had been, like he’d known her his whole life.

Even if that’s how he felt.

It seemed Faye had caught his almost slip. Once more she seemed to examine him, as if trying to work him out like he was her. Her scrutiny made him feel uncomfortable for a moment, and he squirmed anxiously as he waited for her to speak. When she didn’t, he decided it was up to him to break the growing silence.

“What makes you think I brought you here?” he asked after clearing his throat. He looked away from her as he did, deciding it was easier to think if he watched Sam sleep instead. It took a moment for her to answer him, and as tempted as he was, he didn’t even peek at her. “Is it because of my headlights? You thought they were the ones you had to follow?”

“I apologise,” she said almost sheepishly, glancing away again. “I got confused. It’s hard to remember what actually happened. All I remember is following the lights, and then you…”

Dean broke and glanced back when she trailed off. She looked as if she was lost in thought, her eyes wide and locked on something he couldn’t see. When he saw tears fill her eyes, the urge to hold her was almost too strong to resist.

“I had to escape…”

“Escape from where?” he whispered, slipping his hands under his legs rather than reach out for her like he wanted. He thought that might push her too far. She still jumped as it was, turning to him as if she had forgotten he was there.

“From Avalon,” she replied in a tone just as soft, her lower lip trembling. A chill run through Dean as he realised he’d been right, his mind racing at the implications. “I escaped from Avalon… I’m…”

“…You’re a fairy.”


End file.
